Place to Be: Kaikoura

Kaikoura – a town situated on the East Coast of South Island, New Zealand – is Maori for ‘meal of crayfish’ (kai – food/meal and koura – crayfish) and as the name suggests, it’s one of the best locations in New Zealand for crayfish.

My visit to Kaikoura was in the middle of summer and we were blessed with beautiful clear blue skies, paired with a light breeze – the ideal balance. Our main objective was to visit Nin’s Bin – a little caravan-like shop on the coast (about 20 minutes from the township) where they sell cooked crayfish, whitebait fritter, prawns, paua or whatever seafood that’s in season! We took our seats along the coast and enjoyed the view while demolishing our meal.

Apart from the splendid seafood, Kaikoura is also a popular destination to admire the making mammals and seabirds. The township is located on a rocky peninsula and has a complex marine system – you will be able to admire seals, whales and albatross. If you’re up for it, you can even thrown on a wetsuit and go diving for fresh seafood.

The best route to get here is to fly to Christchurch and drive about 2 hours to reach the town. The drive is relatively easy and scenic. Kaikoura is one of those places that leaves a great impression and is one of my favourites places on the South Island.